SINGAPORE -- (Marketwire) -- 01/09/13 -- Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) -- The teams from China, Australia and Singapore were declared winners at the prestigious annual Cisco Asia Pacific NetRiders 2012 skills competition held by the Cisco Networking Academy. As the first- and second-placed winners, the teams from China and Australia won all-expenses-paid trips to the United States.

Cisco APAC NetRiders 2012 was one of the largest real-time video competitions ever held in Asia, with students from 17 countries participating simultaneously over four hours using Cisco TelePresence® and Cisco WebEx®. Using these technologies in education provides an interactive experience, enhances the classroom learning and motivates young people to further pursue technology education and training.

The winners of the APAC NetRiders 2012 competition are Zhengzhong Wang and Jian Zhang from the Wenzhou University in China.

In second and third place were teams from Australia's Lidcombe College of TAFE and Singapore's Nanyang Polytechnic.

The annual competition is an opportunity for Networking Academy® students to participate in a valuable learning experience by testing their skills in the area of computer network hardware design, configuration, development, and maintenance, all of which are covered in the Networking Academy curriculum. To date, more than 16,000 Networking Academy students have competed in NetRiders events in more than 80 countries across the globe.

The competition involves two levels of testing. The first is a theoretical exam, and the second is an online network configuration through a computer simulation test using Packet Tracer 5.3

SUPPORTING QUOTES:

Sandy Walsh, regional director of Cisco's Social Innovation Group in Asia Pacific"There is strong global demand for ICT solutions across all business segments because innovative use of technology increases productivity, reduces overall costs and helps transform businesses. The Cisco Networking Academy program contributes to fulfilling this global demand by teaching every year more than 1 million students, the skills needed to design, build, manage and secure computer networks. NetRiders draws on our student community, providing an exciting and competitive forum that showcases top talent around the world. We look forward to seeing the future-ready participants transform their countries and communities as they enter the workforce."

Winning team - China: Wang Zhengzhong from Wenzhou University"I'm very excited that we won the Cisco NetRiders championship. I couldn't have done it without support from my parents and our teachers; who taught us the network and with that, life lessons. I look forward to more wins in the future."

Second placeteam - Australia: Elise Marrott from the Lidcombe College of TAFE"For me NetRiders was an excellent opportunity to study a subject that I am intrigued by as well as providing me the chance to represent Australia and to connect with people around the world who share the same interests. To come first in Australia was a big surprise and I was extremely happy, but I never thought I would place in the Asia Pacific region. I was just happy to be able to represent Australia at the International level. I am still surprised that I made it this far, but it feels good for the hard work and study to have finally paid off."

Third placeteam - Singapore: Ming Hong Kwek and Joshua Sim from Nanyang Polytechnic"The opportunity to participate in Cisco NetRiders once again propelled our team to put in more effort for the competition. We evaluated our performance in the previous year and worked tirelessly to improve various critical areas. Being given such a prestigious chance, we strove high and pushed ourselves in the preparations leading up to the competition. Our efforts finally paid off when we emerged Champion in the Singapore round and second runner-up in the Asia-Pacific circuit. We are extremely grateful to Cisco for providing us with the chance to be part of the competition. We would also like to express our gratitude to the Lecturers in the School of Information Technology (Nanyang Polytechnic) for mentoring and training us diligently to achieve this excellent outcome."

About Cisco Networking AcademyIn partnership with educational institutions, government administrations and community based organizations around the world; the Networking Academy delivers ICT education through effective in-classroom learning combined with innovative cloud-based curricula and tools to prepare students for careers in the 21st-century global economy.

The Networking Academy began in 1997 with 64 schools and has grown to become one of the "world's largest classrooms" with 10,000 academies in 165 countries, and nearly 4 million students having participated in the program to date. The Networking Academy is Cisco's flagship social investment program across the globe.

Today, there are more than 1350 Academies operating in 26 countries throughout Asia Pacific and Greater China that have instructed more than 1,040,000 students since inception. Networking Academy courses are delivered in multiple languages through a pioneering cloud-based learning system that teaches students how to design, build, troubleshoot, and secure computer networks for increased access to career and economic opportunities in communities around the world.

Students who complete the program often go on to secure entry-level career opportunities, participate in continuing education and achieve globally recognized career certifications. Courses are supported by classroom instruction, hands-on learning activities, and interactive online assessments that provide personalized feedback. Networking Academy instructors receive extensive training and support to help ensure a consistently-enriching learning experience for students around the world.

About CiscoCisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in IT that helps companies seize the opportunities of tomorrow by proving that amazing things can happen when you connect the previously unconnected. For ongoing news, please go to http://thenetwork.cisco.com. Cisco products are supplied in Singapore by the channel partners of Cisco Systems International B.V., a wholly owned subsidiary of Cisco Systems, Inc.

Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. A listing of Cisco's trademarks can be found at www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company.

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